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DAB radio was originally sold as the natural successor to AM and FM radio in the UK, providing better audio quality, easier tuning and extra station information. It's been a mixed bag though, with patchy coverage and many radio stations broadcasting in low bit-rates. The problem partly lies in the UK's infrastructure -- the existing transmitters and data streams lack the capacity to offer so many stations at a higher audio quality. The first commercial, national "multiplex" for DAB radio is already full and while a second is in the works, Ofcom wants to explore how service can be improved at the local level. It goes beyond the UK government's promise to part-fund new transmitters by 2016.

Researchers have been using graphene to develop an assortment of technologically advanced things for a while, from camera sensors and contact lenses all the way to frickin'lasers. That's why it's not a surprise to see a group of engineers from Columbia University create the world's smallest FM transmitter using the atom-thick material. The end product isn't just for show, either, as it can pump tunes over the airwaves to a regular FM radio -- the team even used Gangnam Style to prove that it works. As interesting as the teensy transmitter is, the engineers have no plans to build a radio for ants, and this is merely part of a larger study into nano-electromechanical systems. Now all we need is for someone to make a tiny violin and a pair of tweezers small enough for us to play.

You wouldn't immediately think of the ear's cochlea as an energy source, but MIT knows that every mammal effectively has a pair of very small power plants because of the ionized environment. School researchers are trying to harness that energy through a new sensor that exploits the whole ear canal system. As eardrum vibrations naturally create a usable voltage from brain signals, the prototype can build enough charge in a capacitor to drive a very low-power wireless transmitter that relays the electrochemical properties of the ear and potentially diagnoses balance or hearing problems. The beauty of the system is its true self-sustainability: once the transmitter has been been jumpstarted with radio waves, it powers itself through the resulting transmissions. Energy use is also sufficiently miserly that the sensor doesn't interrupt hearing. Work is still early enough that there's a long way to go before such implants are part of any treatments, but there's hope that future chip iterations could help fix inner ear maladies, not just report on them. Something tells us, however, that the doctor won't ask us to take two dubstep tracks and call back in the morning.

Google fellow, founder of Project X and self-driving car pioneerSebastian Thrun became the latest to publicly rock a Project Glass prototype (after company co-founder Sergey Brin) on a recent episode of Charlie Rose, and managed to show off a whole new side of the project in the process. While the 19-minute interview was mostly unremarkable product-wise with a focus on higher education and his Udacity project, we did get to see him take a picture of the host (about a minute in) by tapping it, then posting it on Google+ by nodding twice. Also, as Electronista points out, in a brief reverse shot (17:20) of Thrun we see for the first time what appears to be a small battery pack / transmitter portion lodged behind his ear. Of course, we're still not any closer to rocking the latest in bionic man-chic ourselves, but at least we can start getting fitted for one now.

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augmented realityAugmentedRealitybatterycharlie roseCharlieRosegooglegoogle plusgoogle+GooglePlusheads up displayheads-up displayHeads-upDisplayHeadsUpDisplayhudproject glassProjectGlasssebastian thrunSebastianThruntransmittertv showTvShowFri, 27 Apr 2012 04:02:00 -040021|20225542http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/battery-less-transimitters-pave-the-way-for-wireless-baby-sensor/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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The radio waves that saturate the air around us may, or may not, give us headaches and cancer, but we can tell you for certain they're capable of powering tiny wireless chips. Renesas Electronics Corp has created a new ultra-low power wireless transmitter that can push data to both Bluetooth and WiFi receivers without the need for a battery or AC adapter. Instead of the typical tens of milliwatts, the little transmitters require only a few microwatts of power, which can be harvested from environmental radio waves through LC resonance. The creators envision adhesive sensors that send a baby's body temperature to laptops and ads that beam coupons to smartphones over short distances -- you know, the sort of stuff NFC can do, but without the specialized hardware.

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bluetoothelectricitylow powerLowPowerNFCpowerradioradio wavesRadioWavesRenesasRenesas Electronics CorpRenesasElectronicsCorptransmitterultra-low powerUltra-lowPowerwifiwirelessWed, 15 Jun 2011 14:10:00 -040021|19967680http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/apple-camera-patent-could-stop-smartphone-bootleggers-in-their-t/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Apple is always filingpatents for strange and fantastic things that never seem to find their way into actual products. But an application published today details some interesting tech that we could actually see getting jammed into a future iPhone (for better or worse). By pairing an infrared sensor with the camera already on board, portable devices could receive data from transmitters placed, well, wherever. Beyond simply blasting out text and opening links like a glorified QR code, transmitters could disable certain features, such as the camera, to prevent recording at movie theaters and music venues. If completely shutting off the cam seems a bit heavy-handed, watermarks can also be applied to photos identifying businesses or copyrighted content. Some potential uses are a little less Big Brother, like museums beaming information about exhibits to a user's or launching an audio tour. Obviously third parties would have to get behind the IR push and there's no guarantee that Apple will put this in a future iProduct. Still, we're a little worried that the days of blurry YouTube concert videos may be coming to an end.

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appleARaugmented realityAugmentedRealityautomationcameradataInfraredinfrared cameraInfraredCameraiosiPadiphonepatentpatent applicationPatentApplicationtransmittertransmittersThu, 02 Jun 2011 20:42:00 -040021|19956874http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/14/hisense-unveils-new-consumer-whdi-accessories-cable-haters-rejo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Hisense is still betting on the WHDI horse for wireless HD. The standard's standard-bearer AMIMON announced its chips would be powering a new line of accessories from the Chinese manufacturer at the Global Sources Electronics & Components World Expo (GSECWE?), including a transmitter for laptops (above), a case for iPhones, and a receiver for TVs (both below). Obviously beaming a round Super Mega Worm to your big-screen is enticing, but we're sure you're most excited by the ability to stream Hulu from your laptop to your TV while reclining on the couch. And if you've got a 3D set, fret not, WHDI can push polarized pixels thanks to support for HDMI 1.4a. Sadly, info on pricing and availability is nonexistent, but we wouldn't expect to find these in your local Best Buy. Yet.

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accessoryamimoncasehdmi 1.4aHdmi1.4ahisenseiphoneiphone accessoryiphone caseIphoneAccessoryIphoneCaseperipheralsreceiverstreamingtelevisiontransmittertvwhdiwirelesswireless hdWirelessHdThu, 14 Apr 2011 09:42:00 -040021|19911713http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/03/toshibas-ty-wsd9-wireless-waterproof-speaker-gives-japanese-sho/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Bath-time belters rejoice, for the folks over at Toshiba have bestowed unto you a 21st century solution to the waterproof radio. Okay, so it's not the first shower-ready speaker we've reported on, and the TY-WSD9 doesn't come with a pale-skinned celebrity endorsement, but it does stream audio from your TV, DVD, iPod, or other sound-emitting device within a 25-meter radius. The system sports two 1.2W speakers, works a transmitter / receiver setup that looks something akin to a baby monitor, and will be available in Japan for about 13,000 yen (or $160) starting this March. So get those pipes ready, cause your wet and wild repertoire just got a whole lot bigger.

There's one serious obstacle to volcano research: volcanos, like, shoot lava. Sure, you could aim a thermal camera at one from a safe distance, but where's the fun in that? On the other hand, researchers at Newcastle University are developing silicon carbide-based components for a device that they say will be able to withstand 900° Celsius temperatures -- just the thing to sense what's going on inside a volcano and transmit the info in real-time. Not only will this allow researchers to better understand conditions leading up to an eruption, it might also someday signal an eruption before it occurs. "At the moment we have no way of accurately monitoring the situation inside a volcano," says NU's Dr. Alton Horsfall. "With an estimated 500 million people living in the shadow of a volcano this is clearly not ideal." Since silicon carbide is more resistant to radiation than plain ol' silicon, the tech can also be used inside nuclear power plants or even as radiation sniffers in places that might face a terror attack.

At an estimated market price of about $17,900 a pop we don't plan on seeing too many of these in the wild, but if you have a pressing need to broadcast high quality video sans-cables, this is definitely worth a peep: Sony's LocationPorter RVT-SD100 is a big box worn on a strap (not unlike the camcorders of old), but instead of rocking unwieldy cassette tape, this guy streams video back to the station via LAN or 3G, where yet another LocationPorter renders it suitable for transmission. This device uses the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile codec and supports video resolution up to 352 x 240. A single 3G connection yields the bandwidth needed for up to 15 fps (with up to 160 kbps audio), while those of you shelling out for two 3G cards -- and at these prices, why not? -- can rock up to 64 fps (320 kbps audio). If you go with the LAN option, you can get up to 30 fps (at 1024 kbps). And it's definitely a lot safer than Al Franken's head mounted satellite dish. Video after the break

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3GbroadcastbroadcastingLocationPorterportable videoportablevideoRVT-SD100Sonytransmittervideo broadcastingVideoBroadcastingTue, 03 Feb 2009 10:04:00 -050021|1448671http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/08/crystal-audio-launches-tr-100-and-tr-60-wireless-speaker-kits/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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A couple of months back, we asked about options for hooking up rear surround speakers without running wires. For those still on the hunt (and located in the UK), here are two more options. Crystal Audio's TR-100 frees a pair of speakers from wires by providing two transmitters and two receivers, each which pack 100-watts of power. The more affordable TR-60 powers a pair of speakers from one receiver, giving each driver a touch less power. We're told that the units can handle uncompressed wireless transmission of audio and that delay latency is "inaudible to the human ear," but unless you can find these in a local shop to demo, you'll be shelling out £399 ($791) / £249 ($493) in order to see hear for yourself.

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Crystal AudioCrystalAudiohdother hardwareotherhardwareothersspeakerspeakersTR-100TR-60transmitterUKwirelesswireless audioWirelessAudioTue, 08 Jul 2008 06:28:00 -040021|1247395http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/14/snooptunes-noestringattached-attachment-gives-ipod-zune-like-abi/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/14/snooptunes-noestringattached-attachment-gives-ipod-zune-like-abi/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/14/snooptunes-noestringattached-attachment-gives-ipod-zune-like-abi/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsAlthough the Zune didn't offer too much innovation in comparison to the bevy of other digital audio players out there, the wireless streaming (however effective) did have a leg up over the non-sharing competition. A California-based teenager, however, has supposedly changed all of that with her (well, her dad's) engineering efforts, as the SnoopTunes NoeStringAttached transmitter purportedly opens up the shared lines to iPod users. While you can certainly color us skeptical, the bullet-shaped device managed to grab some airtime on an MSNBC broadcast (shown after the jump), and reportedly transmits your music to other NoeStringAttached users "withing a 15 foot radius," touts five separate channels for non-chaotic field trip usage, and only runs you about $60 for an entire kit. While the slapped-together eBay sales page doesn't elaborate on what type of transmitting protocol is being utilized, we're here to inform you that this thing most certainly won't allow you to beam your song to another iPod -- not even for a measly 72 hours. Truth be told, we're not even sure this thing actually functions as advertised, but even if it does, we really hope you don't mind following your new best friend around fairly close if you're interested in tuning in to what they have to listen to.

Swimming is fun, but drowning, most certainly, is not. The makers of SenTAG know this, and have developed a system that monitors swimmers' depth and motion, alerting them, with a series of alarms and LEDs, if they might be in danger. The set-up, which is designed mostly for public swimming holes, consists of radio/ultrasound transmitters (worn around swimmers' wrists) and a base station that alerts rescue personnel if someone isn't responding to the alarm. No building modification is required for installation, meaning there won't be any wires running through or around the water and operating cost is kept relatively low. The most exciting part for us, though, is that the whole rescue process is now one step closer to being completely electronic. Eventually, the SenTAG could be used to signal a Strider robot, which could drag the victim back to land where the CPR bot could be applied. But, don't worry lifeguards, that day is still a long way off.